Grimdark Future/Tactics/Infected Colonies

Why play Infected Colonies?

This is another very budget-focused force built to spam a lot of weak fodder. However, you'll find some very glaring weaknesses immediately. Your shooting is garbage. Your units are mostly useless. However, you can buy lots of them. And you should.

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Pros

• Lots of Activations
• Lots of melee attacks
• Fairly affordable chaff

Cons

• Your troops are pathetic
• Very limited venues for customization
• Very limited shooting
• Only three vehicles

Special Rules

• Guerilla Tactics: Essentially the same as the HDF drill sergeant. At the start of your unit's activation, you can grant the it either +1 AP in shooting, +1 to hit on either shooting or Melee or +3" to movement.

Psychic Spells

• Infestation (4+): Friendly unit within 12" takes gets Poison on their next melee attack. Considering how poor your forces are in combat, you'll need every edge you can get.
• Bio-Horror (4+): One enemy unit within 12" takes an AP 2 Deadly 3 hit, which is pretty lethal.
• Vigor (5+): An friendly unit within 12" gains Regeneration when they next get hit. Absolutely necessary with how flimsy they are.
• Panic Virus (5+): One enemy model within 24" takes a morale test. Upon failure, they suffer 3 AP 2 hits. While this is a crapshoot, you have a great range to try your luck with.
• Onslaught (6+): One friendly unit within 12" can immediately move 6". This gives you a desperate escape button or possibly an easier charge.
• Plague (6+): Enemy unit within 6" take a hit per model, making this hell for mobs of grunts.

Unit Analysis

Heroes

• Monstrous Tyrant: Flat-out one of your strongest units, and for fairly cheap too! He's a melee powerhouse, but that's all he is. His melee weapons even come for free: 6 AP 2 claw swipes, 4 AP 2 Rending punches, or 2 AP 4 Deadly 3 stings, you're going to be burying something. This is especially helped by Fear and the only buyable upgrade, Terrifying (Enemies in combat take -1 to morale checks, nullifying Fearless). Do beware that the tyrant's durability is pretty low thanks to only having 3+ defense and Tough 3, so you need to protect this boy.

• Infected Champion: Cheapest hero in the history of ever. Statwise, they're no better than the base infected and can even buy the same melee weapons, including a carbine with Sniper. The one thing to make this guy stand out is Infection, and ho boy is Infection EVIL. See, if you buy Infection, then any enemies the champion faces in melee are infected and suffer -1 to their quality. Then they spread it to any friends within 3" at the start of a round. Set up properly and that can see an army of HDF or TAO suddenly tote piddly peashooters and even battle brothers get taken down a peg. If you go down this path, you will need to be wise, since Infection costs more than the model using it.

• Plague Scientist: Your lone source of casting and a rather cheap one at that. Compared to practically anything in another army, you're kind of a laughing stock. Most other psychics, even those just as flimsy, could at least upgrade their proficiency while you're stuck as-is.

• Hunter Champion: A much more mobile hero, given Fast, Scout and Strider for maximum maneuverability since this guy lacks guns. Fortunately, their quality and defense are quite good and you can buy upgrades for their claws for cheap (Poison, Rending or AP 4 for 5, Deadly 3 for 10). Also available is Bloodthirsty, which confers Furious to their attached unit. You'll be needing this so you can make the most of your hordes, because they will die shortly after charging.

Infantry

• Zombies: Zombies are...pathetic. Their only weapons are their claws, they're slow and they're as flimsy as the rest of your units. Even Fearless won't do much to stop them from getting cut down. The one good thing is that you grab 10 of them for fairly cheap.

• Infected: You get 10 infantry men. Truth be told, their venues are narrow, with guns being quite limited. Your range is short unless you grab the grenade launcher or the heavy machine gun, and the fusion rifle is your lone source of anti-tank. Your melee options are the same as the infected champion, with the exception that you can also buy a pet for a token few more attacks in melee - useful if you grab a Bloodthirsty hunter champion.
  • Weapons Team: As with any HDF-alike army, you can either strap one onto an infected unit or as their own. Your options aren't much different, but you'll absolutely be wanting to swap weapons when the average infected can lug a heavy machine gun for cheaper and isn't vulnerable to Deadly.

• Specialist Infected: Five infected only, but you have free reign over the meager armory and possess Relentless, which you'll enjoy if you want more shots.

• Infected Hunters: Hunters are actually quite effective for killing stuff, but are crazy expensive. Fast, Scout and Strider make sure that they can reach their enemy quickly and they can upgrade their claws, though the change is for all models. Whatever you take is going to influence how the rest of your army will equip, though Rending or Poison should be enough.

• Infected Boomers: These hunters are at 4+ quality, but gain the tankiness of Tough 3, making them useful as meatwalls. Despite what you might think, this isn't so you can stall enemies - they won't. Instead, sacrifice these guys in melee, as any model that dies in combat explodes and deals 3 hits to the unit they were fighting. This can at least guarantee a second screening if the enemy gets past the zombies.

• Infected Dogs: Puny, like most of your forces, but you have Fast. That alone makes them worthwhile as a distraction, as does their affordable price.

• Infected Swarms: A whole new level of weak without even AP on their attacks, but what you have is Tough 3. This makes them another target to distract Deadly weapons.

• Infected Ravens: While as much a distraction as the other animals, the ravens at least have Flying and Tough 3, making you far more available for distracting a force before they reach the mobs.

• Infected Vulture: A slightly better raven with a slightly better bite. If you need something to piss off any split firing, buy one of these.

• Infected Chelonians: About as dangerous as the ones with the rebels. However, these chelonians have absolutely no other weapons besides their claws. With their 3+ in quality and defense, this makes them rather high-tier bunkers for a hero to hide in.

• Infected Monster: Take a monstrous tyrant, swap fear for more Tough and set them loose. These beasts are as dangerous if not moreso compared to the hero version, and it's not hard to see. While your main forces are made to stall for time, these are for flat-out murdering mobs.

Vehicles

• Attack Buggy: Fast is the thing you want when you need to get somewhere, especially if you bought the space for 11 models. However, like the rebel jeep, your weapon slot is alone: if you want more than the heavy machine gun, then you only have the autocannon and laser cannon as alternatives.

• Battle Tank: Yours is a budget version of the beasts seen in the HDF. Your only options for guns are the autocannons or the laser cannons, which limits what you can do to anti-armor. Also limiting is that the only other option is the choice for two heavy machine guns, a choice that is quite expensive.

• Attack Walker: This walker as-is is pretty trash at melee, a matter well understood by the army. Unless you spring for the chainsaw+heavy flamethrower package, then you'll have to rely on the heavy firepower to get your use out of it. By stock, it's got either a laser machinegun or plasma cannon depending on what you plan on destroying, but you could also buy a heavy fusion rifle so you can guarantee that your enemy will die.

• Light Dropship: This ship is actually an incredibly cheap transport, being even cheaper than the buggy with storage. However, like the buggy, you only have one weapon. The minigun, the missile pod or the laser cannon are your only choices.

Army Building

Tactics

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Pros

• Lots of bodies
• Lots of melee attacks
• Fairly affordable chaff

Cons

• Your troops are pathetic
• Very limited venues for customization
• Very limited shooting

Special Rules

• Guerilla Tactics: Essentially the same as the HDF drill sergeant. At the start of your unit's activation, you can grant the it either +1 AP in shooting, +1 to hit on either shooting or Melee or +3" to movement.

Psychic Spells

• Infestation (4+): Friendly unit within 12" takes gets Poison on their next melee attack. Considering how poor your forces are in combat, you'll need every edge you can get.
• Bio-Horror (4+): One enemy unit within 12" takes an AP 2 Deadly 3 hit, which is pretty lethal.
• Vigor (5+): An friendly unit within 12" gains Regeneration when they next get hit. Absolutely necessary with how flimsy they are.
• Panic Virus (5+): One enemy model within 24" takes a morale test. Upon failure, they suffer 3 AP 2 hits. While this is a crapshoot, you have a great range to try your luck with.
• Onslaught (6+): One friendly unit within 12" can immediately move 6". This gives you a desperate escape button or possibly an easier charge.
• Plague (6+): Enemy unit within 6" take a hit per model, making this hell for mobs of grunts.

Unit Analysis

Heroes

• Monstrous Tyrant: Flat-out one of your strongest units, and for fairly cheap too! He's a melee powerhouse, but that's all he is. His melee weapons even come for free: 6 AP 2 claw swipes, 4 AP 2 Rending punches, or 2 AP 4 Deadly 3 stings, you're going to be burying something. This is especially helped by Fear and the only buyable upgrade, Terrifying (Enemies in combat take -1 to morale checks, nullifying Fearless). Do beware that the tyrant's durability is pretty low thanks to only having 3+ defense and Tough 3, so you need to protect this boy.

• Infected Champion: Cheapest hero in the history of ever. Statwise, they're no better than the base infected and can even buy the same melee weapons, including a carbine with Sniper. The one thing to make this guy stand out is Infection, and ho boy is Infection EVIL. See, if you buy Infection, then any enemies the champion faces in melee are infected and suffer -1 to their quality. Then they spread it to any friends within 3" at the start of a round. Set up properly and that can see an army of HDF or TAO suddenly tote piddly peashooters and even battle brothers get taken down a peg. If you go down this path, you will need to be wise, since Infection costs more than the model using it.

• Plague Scientist: Your lone source of casting and a rather cheap one at that. Compared to practically anything in another army, you're kind of a laughing stock. Most other psychics, even those just as flimsy, could at least upgrade their proficiency while you're stuck as-is.

• Hunter Champion: A much more mobile hero, given Fast, Scout and Strider for maximum maneuverability since this guy lacks guns. Fortunately, their quality and defense are quite good and you can buy upgrades for their claws for cheap (Poison, Rending or AP 4 for 5, Deadly 3 for 10). Also available is Bloodthirsty, which confers Furious to allies. You'll be needing this so you can make the most of your hordes, because they will die shortly after charging.

Infantry

• Zombies: Zombies are...pathetic. Their only weapons are their claws, they're slow and they're as flimsy as the rest of your units. Even Fearless won't do much to stop them from getting cut down. The one good thing is that you grab 10 of them for fairly cheap.

• Infected: You get 3 infantry men. Truth be told, their venues are narrow, with guns being quite limited. Your range is short unless you grab the grenade launcher or the heavy machine gun, and the fusion rifle is your lone source of anti-tank. Your melee options are the same as the infected champion, with the exception that you can also buy a pet for a token few more attacks in melee - useful if you grab a Bloodthirsty hunter champion.

• Weapons Team: As with any HDF-alike army, you get what amounts to a Tough 3 model with a heavy gun. Your options aren't much different, but you'll absolutely be wanting to swap weapons when the average infected can lug a heavy machine gun for cheaper and isn't vulnerable to Deadly.

• Specialist Infected: A lone trooper, you have free reign over the meager armory and possess Relentless, which you'll enjoy if you want more shots.

• Infected Hunter: Hunters are actually quite effective for killing stuff, but are crazy expensive. Fast, Scout and Strider make sure that they can reach their enemy quickly and they can upgrade their claws. Whatever you take is going to influence how the rest of your army will equip, though Rending or Poison should be enough.

• Infected Boomer: This hunter is at 4+ quality, but gain the tankiness of Tough 3, making them useful as a meatwall. Despite what you might think, this isn't so you can stall enemies - they won't. Instead, sacrifice them in melee, as any model that dies in combat explodes and deals 3 hits to the unit they were fighting. This can at least guarantee a second screening if the enemy gets past the zombies.

• Infected Dog: Puny, like most of your forces, but you have Fast. That alone makes them worthwhile as a distraction, as does their affordable price.

• Infected Swarm: Another mass of flimsy, but what you have is Tough 3. This makes them another target to distract Deadly weapons.

• Infected Raven: While as much a distraction as the other animals, the ravens at least have Flying and Tough 3, making you far more available for distracting a force before they reach the mobs.

• Infected Vulture: A slightly better raven with a slightly better bite. If you need something to piss off any split firing, buy one of these.

• Infected Chelonian: About as dangerous as the ones with the rebels. However, this chelonian has absolutely no other weapons besides their claws. With their 3+ in quality and defense, this makes them a rather high-tier target and beatstick.

• Infected Monster: Take a monstrous tyrant, swap fear for more Tough and set them loose. These beasts are as dangerous if not moreso compared to the hero version, and it's not hard to see. While your main forces are made to stall for time, these are for flat-out murdering mobs.

Army Building

Tactics

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Grimdark Future Tactics Articles
General:	General Tactics
Alien Hives:	Alien Hives - Soul-Snatcher Cults
Aliens:	Dwarf Guilds - Eternal Dynasty - Jackals - Orc Marauders Robot Legions - Saurian Starhost - TAO Coalition
Battle Brothers:	Battle Brothers - Custodian Brothers - Prime Brothers
Elves:	Dark Elf Raiders - Elven Jesters - High Elf Fleets
Havoc:	Havoc Brothers - Machine Cult Defilers - Wormhole Daemons
Humans:	Battle Sisters - Feudal Guard - Gangs of Hive City Human Defense Force - Human Inquisition - Infected Colonies Machine Cult - Titan Lords - Rebel Guerillas
Ratmen:	Ratmen Clans - Vile Rattus Cult